Skip to content 
Image size for your website’s SEO matters. According to 2018 data, 20% of all U.S. website searches happen on Google Images.
SEO developers understand the importance of optimizing images for your website and worth the time to do so. Whether you optimize the size and quality of the image or utilize alt tags or other SEO tricks, your efforts might be what is needed to get your image shown in search results.
Image Size Affects Website SEO
Image optimization creates a host of advantages for the user as well as the website owner. For the user, optimization gives them a better experience with the image and faster page load time. For the website owner, optimization gives additional ranking opportunities and improved authority for SEO purposes.
Here are some recommendations to consider when choosing your images for your website:
Format
There are a substantial amount of image formats currently in the marketplace. With that said, the PNG and JPEG formats are the most common for the internet.
- PNG – this format produces better quality images, but comes with a larger file size.
- JPEG – this format has less quality, but the quality level can be adjusted to find a balance.
- WEBP – this format is the only image format supported by Chrome and Firefox.
Image Compression
As mentioned in a previous article, mobile is now king and anything that slows the load time becomes your enemy. According to HTTP Archive, “images makeup on average 21% of a total webpage’s weight.”
This is the very reason why its recommended to compress images before they are uploaded to a website. This can be accomplished by using an application like Photoshop or a plugin like TinyPNG or WP Smush.
Whatever plugin or application is used, make sure the compression happens on an external server so that the weight isn’t put on your website’s server.
Unique Images
The goal with images is to get attention. However, those images might lose their purpose if they are obtained from stock image databases. By creating your own unique images, you establish a special feel and presence on your website. You make it more personal for the visitor.
Even if you are able to optimize your images perfectly in regards to SEO results, it will still lose luster with the visitor if it’s a stock style image. The more original your images are, the better experience it’ll be for the user.
Copyright for Images
The U.S. Copyright Act defines images as “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.” It defines these works to include “two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of fine, graphic, and applied art, photographs, prints and art reproductions, maps, globes, charts, diagrams, models, and technical drawings, including architectural plans.”
So regardless of the image files you choose to use, it’s important that there’s no copyright conflicts. There are images out there that are for reuse and others for a fee.
However, by creating your own images that your customers will like better anyway, is the best route to take.
Use SEO-Friendly Alt Text
Alt tags on your images are text alternatives to your images when a browser can’t properly render them. The alt tag is used to describe the image file to give meaning to what the image portrays.
Adding Alt tags is also a great way to enhance your SEO results. It ensures that all components of a website have meaning whether they are viewable or not.
Images to add life to your website and marketing materials. However, they can detract too if effort isn’t put into personalizing it and connecting the image to the content being presented.
If you need assistance with your imagery on your website or with your marketing materials, please get in touch with me and I would be pleased to assist you.
Got a Project in Mind?
I collaborate with innovative brands to create cutting-edge digital experiences.
Let’s connect!
